Plearnwan Vintage Market Hua Hin'Step Back In Time'

The Plearnwan Vintage Market (or Plearnwan Eco Vintage Village) allows visitors to feel as though they are stepping back in time. Located within the popular seaside province of Hua Hin in western Thailand this visually unique and eco friendly market provides a boutique style shopping
experience. However, it is the aged look of the buildings and cleverly designed vintage displays which help to create an allusion that you are walking within a village back in a bygone era.

BACKGROUND

While only built back in 2009, it is said that this market has been constructed to recapture the feeling and charm of Hua Hin from days gone by, and from my experience visiting the Plearnwan vintage village, I would have to say that the owners have achieved this. Indeed, the
word plearnwan is said to mean 'enjoy yesteryear' and judging by the number of Thai and foreign visitors, that's exactly what people come here to do.

Once
you walk inside Plearnwan Vintage Market you may feel like you have stepped into a museum. With traditional styled wooden buildings which are constructed from recycled wood and tin you may be fooled into believing that this village with its artificially aged appearance and Thai-Chinese architectural themes has been here for a century or more.

The complex of outer wooden buildings house the majority of boutique shops and restaurants and they surround an inner courtyard which is covered in artificial turf. This is the same outdoor area where classic movies are screened outdoors on weekends.

SHOPS AND ACTIVITIES

After walking around for a while looking at the shops, you are bound to get hungry, and you will find an assortment
of restaurants along with stores selling fresh coffee, home made candy, and yummy ice cream. Tasty treats such as
traditional coconut ice cream , sweet corn, pancakes and coconut jam are very popular here.

So you don't get bored this market has a good selection of interesting retro shops that sell a variety of hand made items such as toys and leather goods while there are games and fun
rides (including a Ferris wheel) for the kids, that each have an old-fashioned look
and feel to them.

For people who would like to complete their stay here, Plearnwan Market also has a number of quaint guest rooms for rent and these are furnished in older styled decor.

As noted above, being an eco friendly village means that the products sold including their packaging are also manufactured using or incorporating recycled materials, which adds a modern twist
to the old fashioned themed venue.

There are plenty of photo
opportunities on offer here which is probably why the Thai's love this place so much. In fact, each of the props scattered over this market have a rustic charm about them and provide excellent backdrops for photographs. They include an old car (which is located at the market entrance), a couple of bicycles, and a flower display. On the day I visited Plearnwan numerous people were taking their happy snaps at each of these locations.

GETTING THERE

The Plearnwan Vintage Market is located along Phetkasem Road,
Hua Hin and opens daily between the hours of 10 AM and 10 PM (Fridays are 10 AM
until 12 midnight) and admission is free. You can walk or get a taxi
depending upon where your hotel is located but this is such an icon in
Hua Hin you will have no trouble getting there.

However, when my wife and I traveled to Hua Hin, we went by train. I can highly recommend Thailand's Transport services. While the trains may be a little old they are cheap, and much more fun then taking a bus.

Further, private sleeper rooms are usually available. Trains depart Bangkok's Hualumpong Railway Station daily for the historical Hua Hin Railway Station with travel time being around 4 hours (see image below).